New Technical Project Manager for BESSY VSR

As of 1 January 2017, Dr. Pierre Schnizer is the new Technical Project Manager for BESSY VSR. In close coordination with the Scientific Project Managers Prof. Andreas Jankowiak and Prof. Jens Knobloch, Schnizer is supervising, among other things, the construction, infrastructure and integration of the necessary modules into the storage ring. In short, his responsibility in the project team is to ensure the successful technical construction of BESSY VSR.

“My first goal is to create a sound plan and organisation scheme based on the existing technical design study,” Pierre Schnizer explains. The technical design study from March 2015 presents the detailed technical prerequisites for creating the variable pulse length pattern. In particular, the high-current superconducting cavities and their interaction with the beam pose a huge scientific challenge.

Pierre Schnizer is highly familiar with accelerator rings like BESSY II. While doing his PhD, the physicist first worked at CERN in Geneva. After that, he was responsible for setting up testbeds for the superconducting accelerator magnets for the new “FAIR” accelerator centre at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt. Through international collaborations, he has acquired valuable knowledge and experience in project planning and communication for large-scale projects. “To me, it is important to encourage people and get them on board,” says Pierre Schnizer. His experience during the first week at HZB has been highly positive.  “There is a deep scientific background here at HZB, people are open and friendly, and everyone is motivated to make BESSY VSR a success."